Flow completion system

ABSTRACT

A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system includes a tubing spool which includes a central bore that extends axially therethrough and a production outlet which communicates with the central bore. A tubing hanger includes a production bore that extends axially therethrough and a production passageway that communicates between the production bore and the production outlet and a first closure member which is positioned in the production bore above the production passageway. A first annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and the central bore above the production passageway including first pressure-containing barrier between the well bore and a surrounding environment. A second closure member which is positioned in the production bore above the first closure member; and a second annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and the central bore above the first seal including a second pressure-containing barrier between the well bore and the environment; and wherein both the first and the second barriers are associated with the tubing hanger.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/213,749 filed on Aug. 5, 2002, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/815,437 filed on Mar. 22, 2001, now U.S. Pat.No. 6,494,257, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/192,124 filed on Mar. 24, 2000 and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/268,329 filed on Feb. 12, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a flow completion system for producingoil or gas from a subsea well. More particularly, the invention relatesto such a system which comprises a tubing hanger which is supported in atubing spool that is positioned over a well bore and two distinctpressure-containing barriers which are associated with the tubing hangerand which isolate the well bore from the external environment.

A typical horizontal-type flow completion system, such as that disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,119, comprises a wellhead housing which isinstalled at the upper end of a well bore, a tubing spool which isconnected to the top of the wellhead housing and which includes acentral bore that extends axially therethrough, an annular tubing hangerwhich is suspended in the central bore, and a tree cap which isinstalled in the central bore above the tubing hanger. The tubing hangersupports at least one tubing string that extends into the well bore anddefines a tubing annulus surrounding the tubing string. In addition, thetubing hanger comprises a concentric production bore which communicateswith the tubing string and a lateral production passageway that extendsbetween the production bore and a production outlet in the tubing spool.The tubing spool also includes an annulus passageway which extends fromthe tubing annulus to an annulus outlet, and a workover passageway whichextends from the annulus passageway to a portion of the central borethat is located above the tubing hanger. The annulus and workoverpassageways provide for communication between the tubing annulus and theportion of the central bore located above the tubing hanger duringinstallation and workover of the flow completion system.

The regulations of certain countries pertaining to the subsea productionof oil and gas require that the flow completion system provide at leasttwo pressure-containing barriers between the well bore and theenvironment at all times. In the production mode of operation of thetypical horizontal flow completion system, the first barrier is providedby a wireline plug that is installed in the production bore above theproduction passageway, in conjunction with an annular, usually metalseal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and the tubing spoolabove the production outlet. The second barrier is provided by the treecap, which is sealed to the tubing spool by an annular, typically metalseal and which often includes an axial through bore which in turn issealed by a wireline plug or other suitable closure member.

During installation of the flow completion system, the tubing spool islanded onto the wellhead housing, after which a blowout preventer(“BOP”) is installed onto the tubing spool by means of a riser deployedfrom a surface vessel. The tubing hanger is then lowered on a tubinghanger running tool (“THRT”) through the riser and the BOP and landed inthe central bore of the tubing spool. After the THRT is retrieved, thetree cap is lowered on a dedicated tool through the riser and the BOPand landed in the central bore directly above the tubing hanger. Afterthe tree cap is installed, the THRT is retrieved, the BOP is retrieved,and the flow completion system is ready to be put into production.During a typical workover of the flow completion system, the BOP and theriser are once again connected to the tubing spool, the tree cap isusually removed from the tubing spool, and the THRT is connected to thetubing hanger. Once the workover operations are completed, the THRT isretrieved and the tree cap is re-installed through the riser and theBOP. Then the THRT is retrieved, the BOP is retrieved, and the flowcompletion system is ready to be put back into production.

Since the tree cap is required to maintain well pressure in the event ofa failure of the first barrier, the tree cap typically comprises a rigidmetal body and a robust metal lockdown mechanism to firmly lock the bodyto the tubing spool. Consequently, the tree cap is usually too heavy tobe installed by a remotely operated vehicle (“ROV”) and must instead belowered from the surface vessel on a specially designed tree cap runningtool. Thus, installation of the tree cap requires a special runningtrip, both during installation of the flow completion system and after aworkover operation. Each such trip typically requires a significantamount of valuable rig time to complete, which necessarily increases thecost of completing and maintaining the well.

In addition, during retrieval of the THRT prior to installing the treecap, debris within the riser often falls into the central bore of thetubing spool above the tubing hanger. Left unattended, this debris couldfoul the sealing surfaces of the central bore and thereby prevent thetree cap from forming an effective seal with the tubing spool.Therefore, before the tree cap is installed the central bore must bethoroughly cleaned, a process that consumes additional valuable rig timeand increases the cost of completing and maintaining the well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, these and other disadvantagesin the prior art are overcome by providing a flow completion system forcontrolling the flow of fluid from a subsea well bore, the flowcompletion system comprising a tubing spool which includes a centralbore that extends axially therethrough and a production outlet whichcommunicates with the central bore, a tubing hanger which is supportedin the central bore and which includes a production bore that extendsaxially therethrough and a production passageway that communicatesbetween the production bore and the production outlet, the tubing hangersupporting a tubing string which extends into the well bore and definesa tubing annulus surrounding the tubing string, a first closure memberwhich is positioned in the production bore above the productionpassageway, and a first annular seal which is positioned between thetubing hanger and the central bore above the production passageway. Thefirst closure member and the first seal comprise a firstpressure-containing barrier between the well bore and a surroundingenvironment. In addition, the flow completion system includes a secondclosure member which is positioned in the production bore above thefirst closure member, and a second annular seal which is positionedbetween the tubing hanger and the central bore above the first seal. Thesecond closure member and the second seal comprise a secondpressure-containing barrier between the well bore and the environment.Thus, both the first and the second barriers between the well bore andthe environment are supported on the tubing hanger. Consequently, noneed exists to provide a separate pressure-containing tree cap to sealthe well bore from the environment.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will bemade apparent from the following detailed description, with reference tothe accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numbersare used to denote similar components in the various embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of theflow completion system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the top portion of the flow completionsystem shown in FIG. 1, but with the controls bridge component removedand with a running tool connected to the top of the tubing hangercomponent of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a tubing hanger anti-backoffmechanism which may be used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the production seal assemblycomponent of the flow completion system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the secondary annular sealcomponent of the flow completion system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a radial cross-sectional view of the tubing hanger componentof the flow completion system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the tubing hangercomponent of FIG. 1 taken through the tubing hanger annulus bore and theannulus gate valve components of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the annulusgate valve component shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of anotherembodiment of a tubing hanger component of the present inventioncomprising an alternative annulus gate valve;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view of an alternative annulus closuremember which is suitable for use with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view of one embodiment of a service andcontrols conduit plug valve which is suitable for use with the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of another embodiment of a serviceand controls conduit plug valve which is suitable for use with thepresent invention;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another embodiment ofthe flow completion system of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic representation of the flow completion systemshown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the top portion of the flow completionsystem shown in FIG. 14, but with the tree cap component removed andwith a running tool connected to the top of the tubing hanger componentof the invention;

FIG. 16 is a top view of the tree cap component of the flow completionapparatus shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16A is a cross-sectional view of the tree cap taken along line A—Aof FIG. 16;

FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view of the tree cap taken along line B—Bof FIG. 16;

FIG. 16C is a cross-sectional view of the tree cap taken along line C—Cof FIG. 16;

FIG. 17 is a top view of the locking cap component of the flowcompletion apparatus shown in FIG. 13; and

FIG. 18 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a further embodimentof the flow completion system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, the flow completion assembly of the presentinvention, which is indicated generally by reference number 10, is shownto comprise a tubing spool 12 which is connected to the top of awellhead housing 14 that is installed at the upper end of a well bore(not shown), a tubing hanger 16 which is supported in the tubing spool12 and from which is suspended at least one tubing string 18 thatextends into the well bore, and an optional controls bridge 20 that ismounted to the top of the tubing spool 12.

The tubing spool 12 is secured to the wellhead housing 14 by a suitableconnector assembly 22 and is sealed to the top of the wellhead housing14 with an appropriate annular seal 24. The tubing spool comprises agenerally cylindrical central bore 26 which extends axiallytherethrough, a lateral production outlet 28 which communicates with thecentral bore, and an annular support shoulder 30 which is located in thecentral bore. The support shoulder 30 may be either a separate supportring which is remotely installable in a corresponding receptacle in thecentral bore 26, or an integral part of the tubing spool 12 which isformed by a reduced diameter portion of the central bore, as shown inFIG. 1. As used herein, the term “tubing spool” should be understood toinclude a spool tree, a Christmas tree or any other spool member inwhich the tubing hanger may be supported.

The tubing hanger 16 is supported on the annular shoulder 30 and isattached to the upper end of the tubing string 18 by conventional means,such as threads. The tubing string 18 extends into the well bore anddefines a production bore within the tubing string and a tubing annulus32 surrounding the tubing string. While the invention is describedherein with reference to a single tubing string 18, it should beunderstood that tubing hanger 16 could be adapted to support two or moretubing strings, which may be either production or injection tubingstrings, in a manner well known in the art.

The tubing hanger 16 is shown to include an annular main body 34 whichcomprises a generally stepped cylindrical outer wall 36, a productionbore 38 which extends axially and concentrically through the body 34 andcommunicates with the production bore of the tubing string 18, a lateralproduction passageway 40 which extends between the production bore 38and the outer wall 36, and an annulus bore 42 which extends generallyaxially from the tubing annulus 32 to a portion of the central bore 26that is located above the tubing hanger 16. The tubing hanger 16 alsoincludes a first closure member 44 and, in the embodiment of theinvention depicted in FIG. 1, preferably also a second closure member 46for controlling flow through the annulus bore 42. The preferredembodiments of these closure members will be described in more detailbelow.

The tubing hanger 16 preferably also comprises a lower extension memberor alignment sub 48 which includes an axial bore that is coaxial withthe production bore 38 and is sufficiently large to allow the tubingstring 18 to pass therethrough and connect directly to the body 34 ofthe tubing hanger. The extension member 48 is precisely oriented withrespect to the tubing hanger via one or more alignment pins (not shown),and is secured thereto by any suitable means, such as a plurality ofbolts (not shown). In addition, the extension member 48 preferablyincludes a radially extending lug or key 50 which, as the tubing hanger16 is landed in the tubing spool 12, engages a helical upper surface 52of an orienting sleeve 54 to cause the tubing hanger 16 to rotate into adesired orientation. The orienting sleeve 54 is supported in an adapterbushing 56 which is connected to the lower portion of the tubing spool12 by threads or other conventional means. In addition, suitable sealsmay be positioned around the adapter bushing 56 and between both thetubing spool 12 and the wellhead housing 14 to provide a backup to theseal 24. Once the tubing hanger 16 reaches the proper orientation withrespect to the tubing spool 12, the key 50 will drop into a slot 58which is formed in the orienting sleeve 54 at the bottom of the helicalsurface 52 to trap the tubing hanger into its proper orientation.

The flow completion assembly 10 may also include a lockdown sleeve 60which is threaded onto the bottom of the adapter bushing 56. After thetubing spool 12 is landed and locked on the wellhead housing 14, thelockdown sleeve 60 may be unscrewed using an appropriate tool until abottom surface of the lockdown sleeve engages the top of a productioncasing hanger (not shown) which is suspended in the wellhead housing 14.The lockdown sleeve 60 will thus prevent the casing hanger from movingdue to, for example, thermal expansion or contraction of the productioncasing. Suitable seals may also be provided between the lockdown sleeve60 and both the adapter bushing 56 and the casing hanger so that thetubing spool 12 will, in effect, seal to the casing hanger in additionto or instead of the wellhead housing 14.

Referring still to FIG. 1, the flow completion assembly 10 also includesat least one closure member for controlling flow through the productionoutlet 28. In the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 1, theproduction outlet closure member is housed in a valve block 62 which isbolted to the tubing spool 12. However, as is well understood in theart, the closure member may be incorporated within the body 34 of thetubing spool 12 or comprise a separate, distinct component which isbolted or otherwise secured to the tubing spool 12. The valve block 62is shown to comprise an internal flow passageway 64 which communicateswith the production outlet 28, a production master valve 66, aproduction wing valve 68, and a flow loop 70 for connecting the flowpassageway 64 to an external flowline (not shown). The flow completionassembly 10 may also comprise a number of service valve blocks 72, eachof which typically includes a remotely actuated valve 74 for selectivelyconnecting an external service and control line (not shown) to the flowpassageway 62.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tubing hanger 16 is run into the tubing spool 12on a running tool 76, only a portion of which is shown. The running tool76 is a relatively standard component and forms no part of the presentinvention; however, a description thereof is included herein tofacilitate an understanding of the present invention. To simplifyconnecting the tubing hanger 16 to the running tool 76 and locking thetubing hanger to the tubing spool 12, the tubing hanger is ideallyprovided with a cylindrical upper extension 78 which is threaded orsecured by other suitable means to the top of body 34, a locking mandrel80 which is slidably received over the upper extension 78, and anexpandable locking ring 82 which is supported on a shoulder 84 that isformed by a reduction in the diameter of the outer wall 36. The runningtool 76 includes a tubular body 86 which is connected to a runningstring (not shown), an annular retention sleeve 88 which is secured tothe upper end of the body 86, a cylindrical first locking piston 90which includes a first sleeve portion 92 that is slidably received overthe body 86 below the retention sleeve 88, and a cylindrical secondlocking piston 94 which includes a second sleeve portion 96 that isslidably received over the body 86 below the first sleeve portion 92. Acollet finger ring having a plurality of depending collet fingers 98 isattached to the lower end of the first locking piston 90, and a wedgering 100 is attached to the lower end of the second locking piston 94.

In operation, the running tool 76 is lowered onto the tubing hanger 16until the bottom of the first locking piston 90 engages the top of thelocking mandrel 80 and the collet fingers 98 enter into a correspondinggroove 102 that is formed on the inner diameter of the locking mandrel.The second locking piston 94 is then stroked downward to trap the colletfingers 98 in the groove 102 and thereby lock the first locking piston90 to the locking mandrel 80. Simultaneously, the wedge ring 100 willforce an expandable locking ring 104 into a corresponding groove 106that is formed on the inner diameter of the upper extension 78 tothereby lock the running tool 76 to the tubing hanger 16. Once thetubing hanger is landed in the tubing spool 12, the first locking piston90 is stroked downward to push the locking mandrel 80 downward and forcea lower nose ring 108 on the locking mandrel behind the lock ring 82.This will push the lock ring 82 radially outwardly into a lockingprofile 110 which is formed in the central bore 26 to thereby lock thetubing hanger to the tubing spool 12. The inner diameter surface of thenose ring 108 preferably comprises a plurality of serrations which willfrictionally engage the outer wall 36 of the tubing hanger to aid inmaintaining the locking mandrel 80 in the downward or locked position.

After the tubing hanger 16 is locked in the tubing spool, the secondlocking piston 94 is stroked upward to unlock the running tool 76 fromthe tubing hanger 16. This will also unlock the collet fingers 98 fromthe locking mandrel 80 and therefore allow the running tool to beretrieved while the locking mandrel remains in the locked position. Thetubing hanger 16 can also be retrieved using the running tool 76 byconnecting the running tool to the tubing hanger as described above andthen stroking the first locking piston 90 upward to pull the lockingmandrel 80 upward and thereby allow the lock ring 82 to retract out ofthe locking profile 110.

The tubing hanger 16 preferably includes an anti-backoff mechanism tomaintain the locking mandrel 80 in the locked position and therebyensure that the tubing hanger remains securely locked to the tubingspool 12 during operation of the flow completion assembly 10. In theembodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the anti-backoff mechanismcomprises an anti-backoff ring 112 which is secured such as by threadsto the upper extension 78 and includes a serrated outer surface thatengages a corresponding grooved surface which is formed on the innerdiameter of the locking mandrel 80. This interface between theanti-backoff ring and the locking mandrel will thus maintain the lockingmandrel in the locked position relative to the upper extension 78.

An alternative anti-backoff mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 3. In thisembodiment, the anti-backoff mechanism, which is indicated generally byreference number 114, is shown to comprise a split ring 116 which issupported in an annular recess 118 that is formed on the inner diameterof the locking mandrel 80. The split ring 116 includes an integralupwardly directed tooth ring 120 which in the locking position of theanti-backoff mechanism 114 resides in one of a plurality of downwardlydirected annular grooves 122 that are formed in the outer diameter ofthe upper extension 78 of the tubing hanger 16. In this position, upwardforces on the locking mandrel 80 are transmitted via the recess 118through the split ring 116 and the tooth ring 120 to the upper extension78. Consequently, the locking mandrel will be prevented from movingupward and out of its locking position with respect to the tubing hanger16. However downward forces on the locking mandrel 80 will cause thetooth ring 120 to cam out of its groove 122 and engage in a lower groove122. The anti-backoff mechanism 114 may also comprise a plurality ofguide pins 124 which extend laterally into corresponding holes 126 thatare formed in the split ring 116 to help maintain the split ringproperly oriented within the recess 118.

Furthermore, although the split ring 116 is normally biased against theupper extension 78, the anti-backoff mechanism 114 preferably includes aplurality of release pins 128 to urge the tooth ring 120 away from thegrooves 122 so that the locking mandrel 80 can be retracted duringretrieval of the tubing hanger 16. Each release pin 128 comprisescylindrical body portion having an enlarged diameter head 130 which istrapped in a corresponding stepped-diameter hole 132 that is formed inthe upper extension 78. Prior to retrieval of the tubing hanger 16, therunning tool 76 is landed on the tubing hanger and the second lockingpiston 94 is stroked downward to bring an outer diameter portion of thesecond locking piston against a rear camming face 134 of each releasepin 128. This forces the release pins 128 radially outwardly into splitring 116 and pushes split ring away from the upper extension 78 tothereby move the tooth ring 120 out of engagement with the grooves 122.

Referring again to FIG. 1, in the production mode of operation of theflow completion system 10, the production bore 38 is sealed above theproduction passageway 40 by a first closure member 136 and, inaccordance with the present invention, preferably also a second closuremember 138. The closure members 136, 138 are preferably wireline crownplugs which are received in corresponding profiles that are formed inthe production bore 38 or in a bore insert (not shown) that is securedand sealed within production bore. In addition, a test port (not shown)is ideally routed between the plugs in a conventional fashion to preventthe creation of a hydraulic lock during installation of the second plug138 and to facilitate the testing of both plugs after they areinstalled. Furthermore, the tubing hanger 16 is sealed to the centralbore 26 of the tubing spool 12 by a first annular seal 140 which ispositioned between the tubing hanger and the tubing spool above theproduction passageway 40 and, in accordance with the present invention,preferably also a second annular seal 142 which is positioned betweenthe tubing hanger and the tubing spool above the first seal 140.

Referring to FIG. 4, the first seal 140 ideally forms part of aproduction seal assembly 144 that also includes an annular lower seal146 which is positioned between the tubing hanger 16 and the tubingspool 12 below the production passageway 40. Each seal 140, 146 ispreferably a straight bore-type metal seal which comprises an innerradial sealing lip 148 that engages a corresponding annular sealingsurface 150 which is formed on the outer wall 36 of the tubing hangerand an outer radial sealing lip 152 that engages a corresponding annularsealing surface 154 which is formed on the central bore 26. In addition,the seals 140, 146 are optimally oriented so that the sealing lips willbe energized into engagement with their corresponding sealing surfacesby the pressure within the production passageway 40. The seals 140, 146are spaced apart on the tubing hanger 16 by a spacer ring 156 whichincludes a lateral hole 158 that aligns with the production passageway40, and the entire seal assembly 144 is secured to the tubing hanger bya retainer ring 160. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the inventionshown in FIG. 4, each seal 140, 146 includes a pair of backup seal rings162, 164 which are mounted in corresponding grooves that are formed onthe seals 140, 146. While, the backup seal rings 162, 164 may be anysuitable seals, they are preferably non-metallic face-type seals.

The second seal 142 is preferably similar in design an operation to thefirst seal 140 and is connected to the outer wall 36 using a suitableT-support ring. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5 the second seal 142may comprise a depending radial leg 166 on which is formed an annularsealing lip 168 that engages a corresponding sealing surface 170 whichis formed in the central bore 26. The seal 142 is oriented such thatpressure in the central bore 26 below the seal will tend to force theleg 166 radially outward and thus the sealing lip 168 into tightersealing engagement with the sealing surface 170. The seal 142 ispreferably secured to the outer wall 36 of the tubing hanger 16 bythreads 172. When the seal 142 is tightened against the tubing hanger16, a top surface 174 of the seal will sealingly engage a step 176 thatis formed in the outer wall 36. In addition, a preferably a C-shapedseal ring 178 may be positioned in a corresponding groove that is formedin the top surface 174 to provide an additional pressure barrier betweenthe seal 142 and the tubing hanger 16. Furthermore, the flow completionsystem 10 may include at least one backup seal ring 180 for sealingbetween the tubing hanger 16 and the tubing spool 12. The seal ring 180,which is preferably a non-metallic S-type radial interference seal, ispositioned in a corresponding annular recess that is formed in the outerwall 36 above the seal 142.

Thus, in the production mode of operation of the flow completion system10, the tubing hanger supports both of the industry required first andsecond pressure containing barriers between the production bore and theenvironment. The first barrier is provided by the first plug 136 and thefirst seal 140, and the second barrier is provided by the second plug138 and the second seal 142. It should be understood that the functionof the first and second seals is to isolate the production bore from theenvironment. Therefore, either the first seal 140 or the second seal142, or both, may comprise an annular ring seal which is positionedbetween the tubing hanger and the central bore concentric with theproduction passageway and the production outlet. An exemplary such sealis disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,204, which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

Therefore, a separate pressure-containing tree cap is not required toprovide the second barrier. Thus, to the extent required by a specificapplication, a lightweight, ROV deployable tree cap may be used with theflow completion system 10. Moreover, once the tubing hanger 16 is landedin the tubing spool 12 and the plugs 136, 138 are installed, the BOP andriser which are used during installation of the tubing hanger may beremoved.

In the embodiment of the flow completion system 10 depicted in FIG. 1,the tubing hanger 16 also comprises a number of service and controlconduits 182. As shown in FIG. 6, the service and control conduits 182are arranged radially around the central axis of the tubing hanger 16and extend from the top of the tubing hanger generally vertically intoor completely through the tubing hanger. The service and controlconduits 182 provide for the communication of cables or fluids throughthe tubing hanger between corresponding external service and controllines (not shown) and devices or positions located in or below thetubing hanger. For example, one or more service and control conduits 182may communicate hydraulic control fluid from a subsea control module toan operational device, such as a surface controlled subsea safety valve(not shown), which is located in the tubing string. Also, one or moreservice and control conduits 182 may communicate pressure from thetubing annulus 32 to an external service and control line which isconnected to a pressure monitoring device located, for instance, on asurface vessel. In this context, the annulus bore 42 may be consideredto be a service and control conduit.

The controls bridge 20 shown in FIG. 1 may be used in the flowcompletion system 10 to facilitate the connection of the service andcontrol conduits 182 to their corresponding external service and controllines through the top of the tubing hanger 16. To this end the controlsbridge 20, which is described more fully in applicants' co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/815,431, which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference, includes a number of internal bridge lines and anactuating mechanism for remotely connecting each bridge line to both aservice and control conduit in the tubing hanger and a correspondingexternal service and control line. Consequently, the need to make theseconnections individually or radially through the tubing spool 12 iseliminated. In addition, the controls bridge may include one or moreclosure members for controlling flow through respective bridge lines,thereby eliminating the need to include these closure members on thetubing spool 12 or in the tubing hanger 16. Additionally, the controlsbridge 20 is preferably sufficiently lightweight to be installed andretrieved using an ROV.

As mentioned above, the tubing hanger 16 includes at least a firstclosure member 44 and preferably also a second closure member 46 forcontrolling flow through the annulus bore 42. At least one of theseclosure members is preferably an active closure member, that is, onethat is actuated in at least one direction by an external power source.In this respect, exemplary active closure members which may be suitablefor use in the present invention include hydraulically, electrically ormanually actuated ball valves, plug valves, sleeve valves, gate valves,butterfly valves or stinger valves. The other closure member may beeither an active closure member or a passive closure member, the lattertypically being defined as one that is actuated in one direction by thefluid contained by the closure member or by a component with which theclosure member is assembled, and in the opposite direction by a returnbiasing means, such as a spring. Any of a variety of passive closuremembers may be appropriate for use with the present invention,including, but not limited to, check valves, poppet valves and flappervalves.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the firstclosure member 44 is preferably an internal gate valve which is similarto that disclosed in applicants' co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 09/815,436, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.Referring to FIGS. 6-8, the gate valve 44 is unique in thatsubstantially all of its operational components are housed entirelywithin the body 34 of the tubing hanger 16. In addition, the gate valve44 is oriented generally axially so as to occupy a minimum of the radialcross sectional area of the tubing hanger 16. In order to most readilyaccommodate this vertical orientation of the gate valve 44, the annulusbore preferably includes a lateral branch which is connected to alongitudinal branch, and the gate valve is disposed across the lateralbranch. For example, in FIGS. 7 and 8 the annulus bore 42 is shown tocomprise an upper branch 184 which extends generally axially through thebody 34 to the top of the tubing hanger 16, a lower branch 186 whichextends generally axially through the body to the bottom of the tubinghanger, and an intermediate branch 188 which extends generally laterallybetween the upper and lower branches. To facilitate the formation of theannulus bore 42, the intermediate branch 188 is ideally machined intothe outer wall 36 and then sealed by a plug member 190 or any othersuitable means.

The gate valve 44 comprises a generally rectangular gate cavity 192which extends generally laterally through the outer wall 36 andintersects both the intermediate branch 188 and a service and controlconduit 182 a. In addition, an annular seat pocket 194 extendstransversely into the body 34 from each intersection of the gate cavity192 with the intermediate branch 188. The gate valve 44 also comprisestwo ring-shaped floating-type seats 196, each of which is positioned ina seat pocket 194, a gate 198 which is slidably disposed between theseats 196, and an actuating mechanism 200 which is positionedsubstantially in the service and control conduit 182 a.

The actuating mechanism 200 functions to move the gate 198 between avalve open position in which a lateral hole 202 in the gate is alignedwith the intermediate branch 188, and a valve closed position in whichthe hole 202 is offset from the intermediate branch 188, as shown inFIG. 7. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuatingmechanism 200 comprises an upper piston head 204 which supports a seal206 that engages the service and control conduit 182 a, an elongatedpiston rod 208 which is connected to the bottom of the piston head 204,a valve stem 210 which is connected between the lower end of the pistonrod 208 and the top of the gate 198, for example via a T-slot connection212, and a return biasing mechanism, which in the embodiment of theinvention shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is a mechanical biasing means such as astack of Belleville washers 214. In addition, the valve stem 210 ispreferably sealed against the service and control conduit 182 a by asuitable packing 216, which is held in place by a gland nut 218 that inturn is secured to the body 34 by suitable means, such as a retainerscrew 220.

The opening that the gate cavity 192 forms in the wall 36 is optimallyclosed by a simple cover plate 222 which is held in place by acylindrical sleeve 224 that is telescopically received over the tubinghanger 16. The pressure in the gate cavity 192 is therefore preferablycontained within the first and second seals 140, 142 which are used toseal the tubing hanger to the tubing spool, in addition to the packing216. Consequently, no need exists for separate sealing means between thebody 34 and either the cover plate 222 or the sleeve 224 to contain thepressure within the gate cavity 192. However, the present inventioncontemplates that one or more such seals could be provided between thebody 34 and either the cover plate 22 or the sleeve 224, to contain thepressure within the gate cavity 192, especially when the opening thatthe gate cavity makes in the wall 36 is not located between the seals140, 142. In addition, instead of the cover plate 222 being retained bythe sleeve 224, the sleeve could be dispensed with and the cover platesimply bolted onto the body, in which event seals are preferablyprovided between the cover plate and the body 34 to retain the pressurewithin the gate cavity 192.

In operation, the gate valve 44 is normally in the closed position. Whenit is desired to open the annulus bore 42, a pressure sufficient toovercome the combined force of the return biasing means 200 and thefriction at the various interfaces of the gate valve is introduced intothe service and control conduit 182 a above the piston head 204. Asshown in FIG. 7, a male coupling 226 may be installed in the top of theservice and control conduit 182 a to facilitate connecting a pressuresource, such as a high pressure hydraulic fluid source, to the serviceand control conduit. The male coupling 226 is engaged by a correspondingfemale coupling (not shown) which is mounted in either the running tool76 or the controls bridge 20 and which in turn is connected to thepressure source by a corresponding external service and control line ina conventional fashion. Alternatively, the top of the service andcontrol conduit 182 a may merely include a seal profile for a stab whichis carried on the running tool or the controls bridge and is connectedto the pressure source by conventional means. The pressure in theservice and control conduit 182 a will force the piston head 204downward and thus move the gate 198 into the open position. In thisposition, fluid in the tubing annulus 42 is allowed to flow from thelower branch 186, through the intermediate branch 188 and into the upperbranch 184, where it will encounter the closure member 46 if present. Asshown in FIG. 7, the tubing hanger 16 preferably includes a compensationport 228 which extends between the top of the tubing hanger and aportion of the service and control conduit 182 a that is located belowthe piston head 204. While not shown in the drawings, a male coupling orstab profile may be provided at the top of the compensation port 228 tofacilitate the connection of this port through the running tool or thecontrols bridge with a corresponding external service and control line.

When it is desired to close the gate valve 44, the pressure is removedfrom the service and control conduit 182 a, whereupon the force from thereturn biasing mechanism 214 combined with the pressure in the annulusbore 42 acting on the stem 210 will push the piston head 204 upward andmove the gate 198 into the closed position. If the means supplying thepressure to the service and control conduit 182 a should fail for anyreason, the return biasing mechanism 214 will either retain the gate 198in the closed position or move the gate from the open position to theclosed position. Thus, in the preferred embodiment of the invention thegate valve 44 is a “fail closed” device.

In an alternative embodiment of the gate valve 44 which is notspecifically illustrated in the drawings, the actuating mechanism 200 isa pressure balanced operating mechanism. Consequently, the returnbiasing mechanism 214 would not be required. Instead, the compensationport 228 is connected to a pressure source in the same manner that theservice and control conduit 182 a is connected to a pressure source. Inorder to return the gate valve to the closed position, therefore,pressure is introduced into the compensation port 228 to force thepiston head 204, and thus the gate 198, upward. In this embodiment, thegate valve 44 would be a “fail as is” device.

Referring now to FIG. 9, an alternative gate valve 44′ which is suitablefor use with the present invention is shown installed in a tubing hanger16′. In this embodiment the tubing hanger 16′ is shown to comprise anannulus bore 42 having a first branch 230 which extends generallylaterally through the tubing hanger from the tubing annulus 32, and asecond branch 232 which extends from the first branch to the top of thetubing hanger. In addition, the gate valve 44′ comprises a gate cavity192 that extends laterally through the wall 36 of the tubing hangergenerally coaxially with the first branch 230. The gate cavity 192 formsan opening 234 in the wall 36 which is preferably closed by a cover 236that is ideally removably attached to the tubing hanger using anysuitable means, such as bolts (not shown). In addition, the cover 236 isoptimally sealed to the tubing hanger with at least one annular seal238.

In the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 9, the gate valve44′ is shown to comprise a gate 198 which is slidably disposed acrossthe first branch 230 between a pair of seats 240, 242. The first seat240 is similar to the seats 196 discussed above. The second seat 242 canbe identical to the first seat 240 or, as shown in FIG. 9, it cancomprise an annular body which is attached to or formed integrally withthe cover 236. In either event, the cover 236 preferably includes a port244 which aligns with the through bores in the seats 240, 242 to definea flow passage 246 through the gate valve 198 which extends between thetubing annulus 32 and the first branch 232.

The gate valve 44′ further includes an actuating mechanism to move thegate 198 between a closed position, in which a lateral hole 202 in thegate is offset from the flow passage 246, to an open position, in whichthe hole 202 is aligned with the flow passage, as shown in FIG. 9. Theactuating mechanism (not shown) is positioned in a service and controlconduit 182 a that is oriented generally vertically over the gate 198.In addition, the actuating mechanism, which can be similar to any of theactuating mechanisms discussed above, is connected to the gate 198 via avalve stem 210.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 9, it should be understood that otherconfigurations of the gate valve are within the scope of the presentinvention. For example, the gate cavity could extend longitudinally intothe tubing hanger from the bottom thereof. Thus, the gate cavity wouldintersect the first branch and provide a convenient means for installingthe seats in the first branch. In this example, the cover which is usedto close the opening that the gate cavity makes in the bottom of thetubing hanger would not include a port. Rather, the first branch wouldcommunicate directly with the tubing annulus through the wall of thetubing hanger.

Also, although not depicted in the Figures, other configurations of theannulus bore 42 are considered to be within the scope of the presentinvention. For example, the first branch of the annulus bore couldextend generally laterally through the tubing hanger and communicatewith the portion of the central bore of the tubing spool that is locatedabove the seals which are employed to seal the tubing hanger to thetubing spool. In this example, the second branch would extend generallylongitudinally from the first bore down through the tubing hanger to thetubing annulus. In addition, the gate valve would preferably beinstalled in or near the top of the tubing hanger.

Referring again to FIG. 7, the closure member 46 is preferably asting-open check valve which is mounted in the upper branch 184 of theannulus bore 42. The check valve 46 comprises an annular head 248 whichis adapted to seal against a corresponding conical seat 250 that isformed in the upper branch 184, a coil spring 252 which is preferablysupported in a collet 254 that in turn is mounted in the upper branch, astem 256 which is connected to the head and which extends through theupper branch toward the top of the tubing hanger 16, and at least oneradial stabilizer fin 258 which is secured to the stem above the head.The spring 252 urges the head 248 into sealing engagement with the seat250 to thereby close the upper branch 184. In order to open the upperbranch, a stinger or similar member (not shown) is inserted into the topof the upper branch and against the stabilizer fin 258 to thereby pushthe head 248 off of the seat and into the open position. In order tofacilitate the assembly of the check valve 46, the outer wall 34 of thetubing hanger 16 may include a lateral opening which is sealed by apreferably removable plug 260.

As an alternative to the closure member 46, the flow completion system10 may comprise a simple debris valve which is mounted in the top of theupper branch 184 to prevent debris from falling into the annulus borewhen the tubing hanger running tool is removed from the tubing hangerbut allow fluid to pass through the upper branch when the annulus boreis connected to an external conduit, such as an external service andcontrol line. The construction and operation of the debris valve areexplained more fully in applicants' co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/815,436.

FIGS. 10-12 illustrate three alternative closure members which may beused to control flow through the annulus bore 46 or the service andcontrol conduits 182. The closure member 262 shown in FIG. 10 is anannulus plug valve which comprises a cylindrical sleeve 264 that issecured in the bottom of the annulus bore 42, a head 266 which isslidably received in the bottom of the annulus bore above the sleeve, astem 268 which extends through the sleeve between the head and a flange270, and a coil spring 272 which is operatively engaged between thebottom of the sleeve and the flange to urge the head against the top ofthe sleeve. The head 266 supports two pairs of axially spaced apartseals 274, 276 that seal against the annulus bore 42. In addition, athird pair of seals 278 is positioned between the sleeve 264 and theannulus bore and a fourth pair of seals 280 is positioned between thestem 268 and the sleeve 264. In operation, hydraulic pressure isintroduced through a port 282 and into a piston chamber which is formedbetween the seals 274, 278 and 280 to urge the head 266 in to the closedposition, in which the seals 274, 276 will straddle an inlet 284 betweenthe tubing annulus and the annulus bore 42 to thereby close the annulusbore 42. In the absence of hydraulic pressure in the piston chamber, thespring will force the head 266 downward into the its open position.Thus, the plug valve 262 is preferably a “fail open” device.

The closure member 286 shown in FIG. 11 is, for example, a chemicalinjection valve that is used to control the flow of a chemical through acorresponding service and control conduit 182. The valve 286 comprises asupport sleeve 288 that is secured and sealed in the bottom of a serviceand control conduit 182, a cylindrical seal body 290 which is slidablyreceived within both the conduit 182 and the sleeve 288 and whichincludes a conical sealing head 292 that engages a corresponding seat294 which is formed in the conduit 182, a coil spring 296 which isoperatively engaged between the sleeve 288 and the body 290 to urge thehead into sealing engagement with the seat, and a suitable fitting 298which is attached to the seat and through which a conduit that extendsdown hole may be connected to the valve 286. In addition, the valve 286includes at least one first seal 300 which is positioned between thebody 290 and the conduit 182, at least one second seal 302 which ispositioned between the body and the sleeve, and at least one third seal306 which is mounted between the sleeve and the body 34 of the tubinghanger 16. In operation, hydraulic pressure is introduced through a port306 and into a piston chamber that is formed between the seals 300, 302and 304 to force the body 290 downward, which will pull the head 292 offof the seat 294 and thereby open the valve 286. In this position, fluidin the conduit 182 will flow past the head 292, into an expansion 308which is formed in the conduit 182, through a number of inlets 310 thatare formed in the body 290 below the head, through the body, through thesleeve 288, and out through the fitting 298. In the absence of hydraulicpressure in the piston chamber, the spring 296 will force the body 290into the closed position. Thus, the valve 286 is a “fail closed” device.Moreover, in this condition the valve 286 may be opened by applyingsufficient pressure in the conduit 182 above the valve to overcome theforce of the spring 296.

The closure member 312 depicted in FIG. 12 is shown to be similar inmany respects to the valve 286 discussed above. However, in valve 312 aradial flange 314 is attached to the lower portion of the seal body 290,and the spring 296 is operatively engaged between the sleeve 288 and theflange to urge the seal body downward. This will pull the sealing head292 off of the seat 294 and into the open position shown in FIG. 12. Inaddition, instead of the expansion 308 in the conduit 182, the upperdiameter of the body 290 is reduced as at 316 to allow fluid in theconduit 182 to flow past the head 292 and into the inlets 310. Moreover,the valve 312 is preferably a “pilot to close” valve; therefore, ifpressurized fluid exists within the conduit that is connected to thefitting 298, the plug valve will remain in the closed position. Also, inthe event of a failure of the means for supplying hydraulic pressure tothe valve 312, the spring 296 will maintain the body 290 in the openposition. Thus, the valve 312 is a “fail open” device.

In order to provide an effective barrier between the well bore and theenvironment, the tubing hanger 16 preferably includes one of theaforementioned closure members to control the flow through each serviceand control conduit 182 that extends completely through the tubinghanger to other than a down hole valve. The closure member willtherefore act as an initial barrier between the well bore and theenvironment through the service and control conduit. This barrier is inaddition to the barrier which is provided by a conventional fluidcoupling that is typically installed in the service and control conduit.As is known in the art, the conventional fluid coupling includes apoppet-type valve which will close when the coupling is disengaged froma corresponding coupling that is installed in a tubing hanger runningtool, a controls bridge or a radial penetrator. As an alternative toemploying an individual closure member in each service and controlconduit 182, the flow completion assembly 10 may comprise a multiportgate valve assembly to control the flow through a number of service andcontrol conduits simultaneously. Such a gate valve assembly, which isshown as 318 in FIG. 1, is described in applicants' co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/815,395, which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference. With closure members such as the above in place inthe service and control conduits 182, the tubing spool 16 will containboth of the industry required first and second barriers between the wellbore and the environment.

Referring now to FIG. 13, another embodiment of a flow completion systemof the present invention is shown which is similar in many respects tothe flow completion system 10 described above. However, the flowcompletion system of this embodiment, which is indicated generally byreference number 410, also comprises an annulus passageway 412 whichextends through the tubing spool 12 between the tubing annulus 32 and anannulus outlet 414, an annulus master valve 416 for controlling flowthrough the annulus passageway, an annulus wing valve 418 forcontrolling flow through the annulus outlet, a crossover line 420 whichextends from the annulus outlet to a portion of the flow passageway 64that is located between the production valves 66 and 68, and a crossovervalve 422 for controlling flow through the crossover line. The valves416, 418 and 422 may be any of the closure members discussed above, butthey are preferably remotely operable gate valves. In addition, thevalves may be mounted in the tubing spool 12, mounted in one or morevalve blocks that are attached to the tubing spool, or mountedindividually on the tubing spool. With the above-described arrangementof the flow completion system 410, the pressure within the tubingannulus 32 can be monitored through the annulus passageway 412 duringproduction, and fluids can be circulated between the production bore 38and the tubing annulus through the annulus passageway and the crossoverline 420 during installation and workover.

The flow completion system 410 may also include one or more male radialpenetrator couplings 424, each of which is connected to a correspondingservice and control conduit 182 within the tubing hanger 16. The malecouplings 424 are mounted on the outer wall 36 of the tubing hanger in aconventional fashion, and each male coupling is releasably connectablewith a corresponding female coupling (not shown) which is carried by aconventional radial penetrator assembly that is mounted on the tubingspool 12. Thus, when the tubing hanger is landed on the tubing spool,the penetrator assembly may be actuated to bring the female couplingsinto engagement with their corresponding male couplings 424 to therebyestablish communication between the service and control conduits 182 inthe tubing hanger 16 and the external service and control lines to whichthe female couplings are connected.

In addition, as shown schematically in FIG. 14, one or more of theservice and control conduits 182 which is connected to a radialpenetrator coupling 424 may be routed within the body 34 of the tubinghanger 16 to a corresponding axial service and control conduit 182 thatenters from the top of the tubing hanger. In this manner, a device withwhich a tubing hanger running tool communicates during installation ofthe tubing hanger 16, for example a surface controlled subsea safetyvalve (“SCSSV”), can be monitored during installation of the tubinghanger and then connected to an external service and control linethrough the radial penetrator once the running tool is disconnected fromthe tubing hanger. A conventional poppet-type fluid coupling may beinstalled in each vertical service and control conduit 182 to seal theconduit once the running tool is disconnected. Alternatively, a fluidcoupling 426 which comprising both a poppet valve and a gate valve maybe employed in each such service and control conduit. Such a coupling,which is described more fully in applicants' co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/844,579, which is hereby incorporated herein byreference, will provide two barriers between the well bore and theenvironment through the service and control conduit.

Referring to FIG. 15, the tubing hanger 16 of the flow completion system410 is preferably installed using a tubing hanger running tool 428. Therunning tool 428 is similar in most respects to the running tool 76discussed above, including in the means and manner by which the runningtool is connected to the tubing hanger 16. However, the running tool 428also includes a tubular member 430 which is secured within the body 86such as by threads 432. The tubular member 430 defines a production port434 within the running tool 428 which communicates with a riser (notshown) in a manner well understood by those of skill in the art. Inaddition, the bottom of the tubular member 430 forms a production sealstab 436 which, when the running tool is connected to the tubing hanger16, is received in the top of the production bore 38 to connect theproduction port 434 with the production bore.

Furthermore, when the running tool 428 is connected to the tubing hanger16, the bottom of the body 86 is spaced apart from the top of the tubinghanger to thereby form an annular gallery 438 which is in communicationwith the tubing hanger annulus bore 42. The gallery 438 is sealed fromthe environment by both a lower annular isolation seal 440, which isengaged between the tubing hanger 16 and the upper extension 78, and anupper annular isolation seal 442, which is engaged between the upperextension and the outer diameter of the wedge ring 100. The seals 440,442 may be any suitable seals, but are preferably non-metallic faceseals. Also, the outer diameter of the tubular member 430 is designed tobe smaller than the inner diameter of the body 86 in order to form anannular volume or “annulus port” 444 between these two members whichextends between the gallery 438 and the top of the body. The spacingbetween the tubular member and the body is ideally maintained by anumber of fluted centralizers 446 which may be attached to or formedintegrally with either the tubular member or the body. Moreover, thethreads 432 which secure tubular member 430 to the body 86 are fluted toallow for fluid to pass through this connection. In this manner, when aBOP (not shown) is connected to the tubing spool 12 and the BOP rams areclosed around the tubular member 430 or the retention sleeve 88, fluidcommunication between the BOP choke and kill line and the tubing hangerannulus bore 42 may be established through the annulus port 444 and thegallery 438.

Referring again to FIG. 13, the flow completion system 410 mayoptionally comprise a single “dual-sealing” wireline plug 448 to sealthe production bore 38 above the production passageway 40. Thedual-sealing plug 448 comprises a wireline deployable plug body 450which is removably connectable within a bore insert 452 that is securedand sealed in the production bore 38. In addition, the dual-sealing plug448 includes a first annular sealing assembly 454 for sealing betweenthe body 450 and the bore insert 452, and a second annular sealingassembly 456 for sealing between the body and, preferably, theproduction bore 38. Moreover, the first and second sealing assemblies454, 456 each ideally include at least one metal straight-bore type ringseal. In this manner, the single plug 448 performs the function of thetwo individual plugs 136, 138 discussed above. However, only one runningtrip is required to install or remove the plug 448, as opposed toseparate trips to install or remove each of the plugs 136, 138.

The flow completion apparatus 410 preferably comprises a light-weight,non pressure-containing tree cap 458 which is installed in the tubingspool 12 above the tubing hanger 16, and an optional debris cap 460which is installed on the tubing spool 12 above the tree cap 458.Referring to FIGS. 16 and 16A-16C, the tree cap 458 is shown to comprisean annular body 462 which includes a number of radial sections that aresecured together by a plurality of longitudinal bolts 464. The body 462is preferably manufactured from a non-metallic material, such as anultra-high molecular weigh polyethylene which has a very low wateradsorption rate on the order of about 0.03% in the 24 hour ASTM D570test. This material not only makes the tree cap 458 lightweight, therebyallowing the tree cap to be installed by an ROV, but also isolates thetree cap from the cathodic protection system of the flow completionapparatus. Moreover, any longitudinal forces acting on the tree cap willbe borne by the bolts 464, thereby relieving the body 462 of thisfunction.

Referring specifically to FIG. 16B, the tree cap 458 also comprises acollet sleeve 466 which is threaded onto the outer diameter of the body462 near the top of the tree cap. The collet sleeve 466 includes anumber of downwardly depending collet fingers 468 which are adapted toengage a corresponding groove that is formed in the upper extension 78of the tubing hanger 16 when the tree cap 458 is landed in the tubingspool 12. The tree cap further includes an elongated lock mandrel 470which comprises a camming ring 472 that is attached to a lower endthereof, a plurality of locking dogs 474 which are slidably received incorresponding radial apertures that are formed in the body 462, and alanding ring 476 which is secured by a number of lock down screws 478 ina support sleeve 480 that is threaded onto the collet sleeve 466. Also,as shown in FIG. 16C, the tree cap 458 preferably includes a key 482that comprises a radially extending tongue 484 which is received in acorresponding recess that is formed on the lock mandrel 470. The key 482serves to maintain the lock mandrel 470 in the up position until thetree cap 458 is landed in the tubing spool 12.

When the tree cap 458 is landed in the tubing spool 12, the landing ring476 will land on the top of the tubing hanger locking mandrel 80 and thecollet fingers 468 will enter their corresponding groove on the upperextension 78. After the ROV turns the key 482 to release the lockmandrel 470, the lock mandrel is pushed downward by an ROV handling tool(not shown) to force the camming ring 472 against the locking dogs 474,which in turn will move radially outwardly against the collet fingers468 to secure the collet fingers in their groove. The longitudinalspacing between the landing ring 476 and the collet fingers 468 can beadjusted using the lockdown screws 478. Also, once the tree cap 458 issecured to the tubing hanger 16, the lock down screws 478 can betightened by an ROV torque tool 486 to firmly secure the landing ring476 against the tubing hanger locking mandrel 80. In this manner, thelanding ring 476 will function to maintain the tubing hanger lockingmandrel 80 in the locked position.

As shown in FIG. 16A, the tree cap 458 can include a conduit 488 whichcomprises a locking profile for an electrical connector. Thus, the treecap can facilitate connecting an external electrical service and controlline to a corresponding service and control conduit in the tubing hanger16. The tree cap 458 may also include an ROV hot stab 490 through whicha corrosion inhibitor may be injected into the central bore 26 of thetubing spool 12 around the tree cap.

As shown in FIGS. 16B and 16C, the tree cap 458 may also comprise anannulus seal stab 492. The seal stab 492 ideally comprises a threadedstem 494 which is received in a corresponding threaded receptacle 496that is attached to the lower end of an actuating shaft 498. Inaddition, the seal stab 492 is optimally keyed to a surroundingreceptacle 500 in a manner which prevents rotation but permitslongitudinal movement of the seal stab relative to the receptacle. Thus,rotation of the actuating shaft by a suitable ROV tool (not shown) willmove the seal stab 492 downward into engagement with, for example, theannulus bore 42 in the tubing hanger 16. The seal stab 492 may be ablind stab, in which event it functions to provide a backup barrier tothe annulus bore 42. Alternatively, the seal stab 492 may comprise athrough bore 502 which communicates through a corresponding conduit 504with a fluid coupling 506 that is mounted in the top of the tree cap458. In this manner, the pressure in the tubing annulus 42 may bemonitored through the seal stab 492 and a corresponding external serviceand control line which is attached to the coupling 506, or the seal stabcan be used to convey gas or other fluids from an external service andcontrol line into the tubing annulus.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 17, the debris cap 460 is preferably aseparate member which is mounted to the top of the tubing spool 12 afterthe tree cap 458 is installed. The debris cap 460 comprises an annularbody having an outer rim 508 which is sized to fit around the outerdiameter of the tubing spool 12 and an inner rim 510 which is adapted tofit closely around the upper end of the tree cap 458 and which definesan enlarged opening 512 through which the top of the tree cap 458 may beaccessed. In addition, the debris cap 460 preferably includes suitableseals which are positioned between the outer rim 508 and the tubingspool 12 and between the inner rim 510 and the tree cap 458. The sealsfunction to keep sea water out of and corrosion inhibitor in the portionof the central bore 26 around the tree cap 458.

The debris cap 460 is secured to the tubing spool 12 by preferably twolocking pins 514, each of which is rotatably received in a cylindricalhousing 516 that is attached to the outer rim 508. Each pin 514 includesa radially extending lug 518 which slidably engages a correspondingdogleg groove 520 that is formed in the housing 516. In addition, thedebris cap 460 includes a handle 522 which is connected to both pins514. When the handle 522 is in the raised position, the lugs 518 willoccupy the radial outer portion of the dogleg groove 520 and the pinswill be in a radially outward position. When the handle 522 is lowered,the lugs 518 will follow the dogleg groove 520 radially inwardly andthereby force the pins into engagement with an annular groove which isformed on the outer diameter of the tubing spool 12 to thereby lock thedebris cap to the tubing spool.

Another embodiment of a flow completion system according to the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 18. The flow completion assembly ofthis embodiment, which is indicated generally by reference number 610,is shown to be similar in many respects to the flow completion systems10, 410 discussed above. However, the flow completion assembly 610 doesnot comprise an annulus bore 42 extending through the tubing hanger 16.Rather, the flow completion assembly 610 includes a workover passageway612 which extends through the tubing spool 12 from the annuluspassageway 412 to above where the second annular seal 142 seals to thecentral bore 26. In addition, the flow completion system 610 preferablyincludes a workover valve 614 for controlling flow through the workoverpassageway 612. In this manner, fluids may be communicated between thetubing annulus 32 and the portion of the central bore 26 which islocated above the tubing hanger 16 through the annulus passageway 412and the workover passageway 612.

Although the above-described embodiments of the flow completion systemof the present invention preferably include two pressure-containingbarriers which are associated with the tubing hanger, in circumstanceswhere only a single pressure-containing barrier is required between thewell bore and the environment, the present invention contemplates thatonly a single barrier may be associated with the tubing hanger. In sucha flow completion system, a pressure-containing tree cap would not berequired to provide a second barrier between the well bore and theenvironment. Rather, a simple debris cap or lightweight, ROV deployabletree cap such as disclosed herein may be employed to prevent sea waterfrom entering the production bore above the tubing hanger and topossibly provide for fluid or electrical communication between theservice and control conduits in the tubing hanger and correspondingexternal service and control lines. This embodiment of the flowcompletion system is advantageous because it does not require the use ofa pressure-containing tree cap and therefore eliminates theabove-mentioned problems which are associated with using such a treecap.

It should be recognized that, while the present invention has beendescribed in relation to the preferred embodiments thereof, thoseskilled in the art may develop a wide variation of structural andoperational details without departing from the principles of theinvention. For example, the various elements shown in the differentembodiments may be combined in a manner not illustrated above.Therefore, the appended claims are to be construed to cover allequivalents falling within the true scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flow completion system for controlling the flowof fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising: atubing spool which includes a central bore that extends axiallytherethrough and a production outlet which communicates with the centralbore; a tubing hanger which is supported in the central bore and whichincludes a production bore that extends axially therethrough and aproduction passageway that communicates between the production bore andthe production outlet, the tubing hanger supporting a tubing stringwhich extends into the well bore and defines a tubing annulussurrounding the tubing string; a first closure member which ispositioned in the production bore above the production passageway; afirst annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and thecentral bore above the production passageway; wherein the first closuremember and the first seal comprise a first pressure-containing barrierbetween the well bore and a surrounding environment; a second closuremember which is positioned in the production bore above the firstclosure member; and a second annular seal which is positioned betweenthe tubing hanger and the central bore above the first seal; wherein thesecond closure member and the second seal comprise a secondpressure-containing barrier between the well bore and the environment;whereby both the first and the second barriers are associated with thetubing hanger; and wherein the first closure member comprises a firstring seal, the second closure member comprises a second ring seal, andboth the first and second ring seals are mounted on a common plug body.2. The flow completion system of claim 1, wherein the plug body iswireline deployable.
 3. A flow completion system for controlling theflow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising: atubing spool which includes a central bore that extends axiallytherethrough and a production outlet which communicates with the centralbore; a tubing hanger which is supported in the central bore and whichincludes a production bore that extends axially therethrough and aproduction passageway that communicates between the production bore andthe production outlet, the tubing hanger supporting a tubing stringwhich extends into the well bore and defines a tubing annulussurrounding the tubing string; a first closure member which ispositioned in the production bore above the production passageway; afirst annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and thecentral bore above the production passageway; wherein the first closuremember and the first seal comprise a first pressure-containing barrierbetween the well bore and a surrounding environment; a second closuremember which is positioned in the production bore above the firstclosure member; and a second annular seal which is positioned betweenthe tubing hanger and the central bore above the first seal; wherein thesecond closure member and the second seal comprise a secondpressure-containing barrier between the well bore and the environment;whereby both the first and the second barriers are associated with thetubing hanger; an annulus bore which extends generally axially throughthe tubing hanger between the tubing annulus and a portion of thecentral bore that is located above the second seal; and an annulusclosure member which is positioned in the annulus bore.
 4. The flowcompletion system of claim 3, wherein: the annulus bore comprises agenerally lateral first branch which is connected to a generally axialsecond branch; and the annulus closure member includes a gate that ismoveable generally axially across the first branch between an openposition in which a hole in the gate is aligned with the first branchand a closed position in which the hole is offset from the first branch.5. The flow completion system of claim 4, further comprising: a conduitwhich extends generally axially through the body between the gate andthe top of the tubing hanger; and an actuating mechanism for the gatewhich is positioned in the conduit.
 6. The flow completion system ofclaim 5, wherein the actuating mechanism comprises: a piston which ismovably disposed in the conduit and which is connected to the gate;means for conveying pressure to a first portion of the conduit tothereby move the gate from a first position to a second position; andmeans for moving the gate from the second position to the firstposition; wherein one of the first and second positions corresponds tothe open position of the gate and the other position corresponds to theclosed position of the gate.
 7. The flow completion system of claim 6,wherein the moving means comprises a mechanical biasing means.
 8. Theflow completion system of claim 6, wherein the moving means comprisesmeans for conveying pressure to a second portion of the conduit which isseparated from the first portion of the conduit by the piston.
 9. A flowcompletion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore,the flow completion system comprising: a tubing spool which includes acentral bore that extends axially therethrough and a production outletwhich communicates with the central bore; a tubing hanger which issupported in the central bore and which includes a production bore thatextends axially therethrough and a production passageway thatcommunicates between the production bore and the production outlet, thetubing hanger supporting a tubing string which extends into the wellbore and defines a tubing annulus surrounding the tubing string; a firstclosure member which is positioned in the production bore above theproduction passageway; a first annular seal which is positioned betweenthe tubing hanger and the central bore above the production passageway;wherein the first closure member and the first seal comprise a firstpressure-containing barrier between the well bore and a surroundingenvironment; a second closure member which is positioned in theproduction bore above the first closure member; and a second annularseal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and the central boreabove the first seal; wherein the second closure member and the secondseal comprise a second pressure-containing barrier between the well boreand the environment; whereby both the first and the second barriers areassociated with the tubing hanger; and a tree cap which comprises anannular body and means for securing the body to at least one of thetubing hanger and the tubing spool; wherein the body comprises aplurality of radial sections and the tree cap comprises a number ofelongated bolts which extend through the body and connect the radialsections.
 10. A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluidfrom a well bore, the flow completion system comprising: a tubing spoolwhich includes a central bore that extends axially therethrough and aproduction outlet which communicates with the central bore; a tubinghanger which is supported in the central bore and which includes aproduction bore that extends axially therethrough and a productionpassageway that communicates between the production bore and theproduction outlet, the tubing hanger supporting a tubing string whichextends into the well bore and defines a tubing annulus surrounding thetubing string; a first closure member which is positioned in theproduction bore above the production passageway; a first annular sealwhich is positioned between the tubing hanger and the central bore abovethe production passageway; wherein the first closure member and thefirst seal comprise a first pressure-containing barrier between the wellbore and a surrounding environment; a second closure member which ispositioned in the production bore above the first closure member; and asecond annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger andthe central bore above the first seal; wherein the second closure memberand the second seal comprise a second pressure-containing barrierbetween the well bore and the environment; whereby both the first andthe second barriers are associated with the tubing hanger; and a treecap which comprises an annular body and means for securing the body toat least one of the tubing hanger and the tubing spool; wherein the treecap further comprises an annulus seal stab for engaging an annulus borewhich extends through the tubing hanger and communicates with the tubingannulus.
 11. A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluidfrom a well bore, the flow completion system comprising: a tubing spoolwhich includes a central bore that extends axially therethrough and aproduction outlet which communicates with the central bore; a tubinghanger which is supported in the central bore and which includes aproduction bore that extends axially therethrough and a productionpassageway that communicates between the production bore and theproduction outlet, the tubing hanger supporting a tubing string whichextends into the well bore and defines a tubing annulus surrounding thetubing string; a first closure member which is positioned in theproduction bore above the production passageway; a first annular sealwhich is positioned between the tubing hanger and the central bore abovethe production passageway; wherein the first closure member and thefirst seal comprise a first pressure-containing barrier between the wellbore and a surrounding environment; a second closure member which ispositioned in the production bore above the first closure member; and asecond annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger andthe central bore above the first seal; wherein the second closure memberand the second seal comprise a second pressure-containing barrierbetween the well bore and the environment; whereby both the first andthe second barriers are associated with the tubing hanger; and a treecap which comprises an annular body and means for securing the body toat least one of the tubing hanger and the tubing spool; wherein the treecap is sufficiently lightweight to be installed using an ROV.
 12. A flowcompletion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore,the flow completion system comprising: a tubing spool which includes acentral bore that extends axially therethrough and a production outletwhich communicates with the central bore; a tubing hanger which issupported in the central bore and which includes a production bore thatextends axially therethrough and a production passageway thatcommunicates between the production bore and the production outlet, thetubing hanger supporting a tubing string which extends into the wellbore and defines a tubing annulus surrounding the tubing string; a firstclosure member which is positioned in the production bore above theproduction passageway; a first annular seal which is positioned betweenthe tubing hanger and the central bore above the production passageway;wherein the first closure member and the first seal comprise a firstpressure-containing barrier between the well bore and a surroundingenvironment; a second closure member which is positioned in theproduction bore above the first closure member; and a second annularseal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and the central boreabove the first seal; wherein the second closure member and the secondseal comprise a second pressure-containing barrier between the well boreand the environment; whereby both the first and the second barriers areassociated with the tubing hanger; and a tree cap which comprises anannular body and means for securing the body to at least one of thetubing hanger and the tubing spool; wherein the body is comprised of anon-metallic material.
 13. A flow completion system for controlling theflow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising: atubing spool which includes a central bore that extends axiallytherethrough and a production outlet which communicates with the centralbore; a tubing hanger which is supported in the central bore and whichincludes a production bore that extends axially therethrough and aproduction passageway that communicates between the production bore andthe production outlet, the tubing hanger supporting a tubing stringwhich extends into the well bore and defines a tubing annulussurrounding the tubing string; a first closure member which ispositioned in the production bore above the production passageway; afirst annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and thecentral bore above the production passageway; wherein the first closuremember and the first seal comprise a first pressure-containing barrierbetween the well bore and a surrounding environment; a second closuremember which is positioned in the production bore above the firstclosure member; and a second annular seal which is positioned betweenthe tubing hanger and the central bore above the first seal; wherein thesecond closure member and the second seal comprise a secondpressure-containing barrier between the well bore and the environment;whereby both the first and the second barriers are associated with thetubing hanger; wherein the tubing spool comprises an annulus outlet andan annulus passageway which provides for fluid communication between thetubing annulus and the annulus outlet; and wherein the tubing spoolcomprises a workover passageway which provides for fluid communicationbetween the annulus passageway and a portion of the central bore that islocated above the second annular seal.
 14. The flow completion system ofclaim 13, further comprising: a tubing hanger running tool which isremovably connectable to the tubing hanger and which includes agenerally tubular body and a production port that extends axiallythrough the body and communicates with the production bore; a BOP whichis removably connectable to the top of the tubing spool and whichincludes a BOP bore, a set of BOP rams, and at least one choke and killline that communicates with a portion of the BOP bore that is locatedbelow the BOP rams; wherein the BOP rams are adapted to sealingly engagethe tubing hanger running tool; and wherein fluid communication betweenthe tubing annulus and the BOP choke and kill line may be establishedthrough the annulus passageway, the workover passageway and the portionof the BOP bore which is located below the BOP rams.
 15. The flowcompletion system of claim 14, wherein the tubing hanger running toolfurther comprises a cylindrical outer surface portion and an annulusport that comprises a first end which communicates with the workoverpassageway and a second end which communicates with the outer surfaceportion.
 16. The flow completion system of claim 15, wherein the BOPrams are adapted to sealingly engage the outer surface portion above thesecond end of the annulus port, and wherein fluid communication betweenthe tubing annulus and the BOP choke and kill line may be establishedthrough the annulus passageway, the workover passageway, the annulusport and the portion of the BOP bore which is located below the firstBOP rams.
 17. A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluidfrom a well bore, the flow completion system comprising: a tubing spoolwhich is positioned over the well bore and which includes an axiallyextending central bore and a production outlet which communicates withthe central bore; a tubing hanger which is supported in the central boreand which includes a generally cylindrical body, a production bore thatextends axially through the body, and a production passageway thatcommunicates between the production bore and the production outlet; thetubing hanger supporting a tubing string which extends into the wellbore and defines a tubing annulus surrounding the tubing string; a firstpressure-containing barrier which is secured to the body of the tubinghanger above the production passageway; and a second pressure-containingbarrier which is secured to the body of the tubing hanger above thefirst pressure-containing barrier; wherein each of the first and secondpressure-containing barriers isolates both the production bore and thetubing annulus from a portion of the central bore that is located abovethe tubing hanger; and wherein the first pressure-containing barriercomprises a first ring seal, the second pressure-containing barriercomprises a second ring seal, and the first and second ring seals aremounted on a common plug body that is secured in the production bore.18. The flow completion system of claim 17, wherein the plug body iswireline deployable.
 19. A flow completion system for controlling theflow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising: atubing spool which is positioned over the well bore and which includesan axially extending central bore and a production outlet whichcommunicates with the central bore; a tubing hanger which is supportedin the central bore and which includes a generally cylindrical body, aproduction bore that extends axially through the body, and a productionpassageway that communicates between the production bore and theproduction outlet; the tubing hanger supporting a tubing string whichextends into the well bore and defines a tubing annulus surrounding thetubing string; a first pressure-containing barrier which is secured tothe body of the tubing hanger above the production passageway; and asecond pressure-containing barrier which is secured to the body of thetubing hanger above the first pressure-containing barrier; wherein eachof the first and second pressure-containing barriers isolates both theproduction bore and the tubing annulus from a portion of the centralbore that is located above the tubing hanger; wherein the tubing spoolcomprises an annulus outlet and an annulus passageway which provides forfluid communication between the tubing annulus and the annulus outlet;and wherein the tubing spool comprises a workover passageway whichprovides for fluid communication between the annulus passageway and aportion of the central bore that is located above the secondpressure-containing barrier.
 20. The flow completion system of claim 19further comprising: a tubing hanger running tool which is removablyconnectable to the tubing hanger and which includes a generally tubularbody and a production port that extends axially through the body andcommunicates with the production bore; a BOP which is removablyconnectable to the top of the tubing spool and which includes a BOPbore, a set of BOP rams, and at least one choke and kill line thatcommunicates with a portion of the BOP bore that is located below theBOP rams; wherein the BOP rams are adapted to sealingly engage thetubing hanger running tool; and wherein fluid communication between thetubing annulus and the BOP choke and kill line may be establishedthrough the annulus passageway, the workover passageway and the portionof the BOP bore which is located below the BOP rams.
 21. The flowcompletion system of claim 20, wherein the tubing hanger running toolfurther comprises a cylindrical outer surface portion and an annulusport that comprises a first end which communicates with the workoverpassageway and a second end which communicates with the outer surfaceportion.
 22. The flow completion system of claim 21, wherein the BOPrams are adapted to sealingly engage the outer surface portion above thesecond end of the annulus port, wherein fluid communication between thetubing annulus and the BOP choke and kill line may be establishedthrough the annulus passageway, the workover passageway, the annulusport and the portion of the BOP bore which is located below the firstBOP rams.